Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-23
A VExEO QUESTION.
Another Correspondent Explains
Away the Idea Of Drunken
Soldiers Being Brutes.
The Subject Handled in a Mas
terly Manner and Miles City
Taken to Task.
Land Office Surveys-The Trip
Down the Yellowstone
Via Skif.
lCommunicated.)
The Jewel Of Fair Play.

Inc 5eWel Oh Fhr flhy.
FORT KEOGH, NJ. T.. Mar. q, 1857.
Editor YELLOWSTONE JOURNAL.
Will there may have been occasion
for the appearance IN your columns OF
some articles concerning and co "a.
menting, perhaps severely, upon the
conduit of some drunken soldiers
from this post in town last week, your
statement OF fact Mains nothing
that eau justify you in calling them
"brutes." There are plenty of persons
calling themselves, and called by
Others, "men"in Miles City OF like
passions and appetites with; the sol.
diers Of this garrison, and it Is not at
all unlikely that some of them may at
times become intoxicated and make
similar mistakes concerning location
to that made by the soldier alluded 10
in your article. Miles City is largely
dependant for its trade upon the gar
rson OF this post, without which it
could never have had an existence;
and with its inducements to honest,
law abiding citizens II offers those that
can only demoralize and debauch
the partakers thereof. Its gamblers
and soiled doves swarm through the
post IA soon as they know that the
paymsster is tn pay the troops, ready
to fleece the victim Of his appetites OF
.,is last cent. 1t has been claimed,
and never, to the writer's knowledge,
successfully refuted, that soldiers have
been arrested In town, though not
guilty of any criminal offense, solely
To allow the guardians Of the law to
make fees or hoard bill" against
the county. and an attempt to stop
such proceeding has probably led to the
'nOlle pross'-ing spoken of In your
article. No officer will allow his men
10 leave the post in a drunken condi-
tiou; but. while the army is composed
of as good material AS can be found in
any, there are men In 1t who, while
Miles City opens wide the doors of it-
saloons and disreputabIe houses. will
enter them, and with brains added
by what they pout down their throsts
in one will make mistakes about the
other. Physician heal thyself."
If Miles City will offer less induce
ments IL will see fewer drunken sol
diers, and less glass In It's houses will
render IL safer from stone throwing.
Your correspondent, who, In your
Sunday morning issue, admitted that
the people OF Miles city wanted the
soldiers money! spoke truly. Your
honest. honorable mercbants and
tradesmen want II in exchange for goods
and labor; your gamblers want II;
other dens of iDiquity are open TO re.
ceive IL, and your saloon keepers stand
ready, for q consideration. to furnish
the wherewith TO induce soldiers
who may enter town sober
TO become drunken brutes, and are
therefore In law and In fact "acces-
sories" TO any crime the drunken man
may commit. Officers and sober en-
listed men alike deprecate any trouble
with the people of Miles City. There
IL no reason why there should not be
the most cordial relations existing be.
tween the sober, law abiding parties OF
the town and post. Such relations
do now exist. The officers OF the
garrison will do Bll that lies In their
power tn prevent soldiers from troub-
ling citizens, aud will not In any way
interfere with any just punishment.
IL the people of Miles City who care
for its good name and desire to see
honest trade aud labor prosper, will
requisite" its own glaring immorali'
ties of dram shops. gambling houses
aud their accompanying pocial evil
they will have but little trouble from
',drunk an tYutps
A FRIEND OF FAIR PLAY.